Solidworks Workstation

Configuration Recommendations

CPU / Processor

The ideal Solidworks CPU should prioritize single-threaded performance, measured in GHz (the higher the GHz value, the faster most Solidworks tasks will be calculated). Solidworks can also make use of multiple cores with to process some tasks in parallel, providing major improvements in calculation speed. Multi-threaded tasks include rendering, most simulations, and heavy multi-tasking. The best CPU for most Solidworks workloads is the Intel Core i9 9900k which has 8 cores, 16 threads, and runs at 5.0 GHz Turbo, making it the fastest factory single-threaded CPU available. We currently do not recommend overclocking CPUs as the decrease in stability is not worth the minor improvements in performance.

Memory / RAM

Solidworks is a very memory intensive program. For most people, 32GB of RAM should be enough, but if your workload is particularly large, complex, or detailed, you may want to increase the RAM capacity to 64GB. All Orbital Computers Workstations are designed to be user expandable with non-proprietary memory modules. All RAM used by Orbital comes with a manufacturer's lifetime warranty on parts.

Graphics Card

The only stable video cards Orbital Computers has tested with Solidworks are the Nvidia Quadro line. Quadro cards have drivers developed in collaboration with Solidworks to ensure full feature compatibility and stability. For light 3D workloads, the Quadro P400 or P620 are good options. For moderate 3D workloads, the Quadro P2000 is ideal. For very heavy 3D workloads, the Nvidia Quadro RTX 4000 or RTX 5000 are recommended for their increased video-RAM capacity and greater number of CUDA processing cores which will enable larger, more detailed 3D scenes to be edited and manipulated with higher frame rates.

Storage

A fast solid state drive (SSD) is included by default on all Orbital workstations. Fast drives will help improve file loading, saving, and transferring times. For most Solidworks workstations, we recommend at least a 500GB solid state drive for your operating system and all programs, as well as a traditional hard drive as needed for long-term storage of spare data. We also offer Samsung M.2 NVMe PCI-e SSDs which operate at speeds nearly 5-6 times faster than normal SSDs for maximum storage performance.

System

For most users, the Orbital Silenced C2000 is the recommended base workstation for Solidworks. The C2000 is available with the fastest single-threaded Intel Core i7 CPU while still maintaining a healthy amount of CPU cores/threads. For Solidworks users who perform heavy rendering and/or simulation, we recommend the C3000 Pro with an Intel Core i9 CPU that offers more cores/threads with a high operating frequency.

Why Orbital

Orbital Computers has been a leading professional workstation computer builder for over 5 years. We only build with the highest quality components, providing maximum performance, unbeatable reliability, and industry-leading in-house tech support, free for life. All Orbital Computers Workstations are built and supported in the USA.